


The Answer

by Rakshi



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-02
Updated: 2011-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-26 19:24:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rakshi/pseuds/Rakshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean doesn't  have any answers... until Elijah provides them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Answer

_I will be the answer  
At the end of the line  
I will there for you  
While you take the time  
In the burning of uncertainty  
I will be your solid ground  
I will hold the balance  
If you can't look down_

_If it takes my whole life  
I won't break, I won't bend  
It will all be worth it  
Worth it in the end  
‘Cause I can only tell you what I know  
That I need you in my life  
And when the stars have all gone out  
You'll still be burning so bright_

 _Cast me gently  
Into morning  
For the night has been unkind  
Take me to a  
A place so holy  
That I can wash this from my mind  
The memory of choosing not to fight_

  
"Jesus, Sean! You look like Stanley in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'!" Elijah slipped a finger under the strap on one side of Sean's tank-top t-shirt. "What brought this on?" He asked, lifting his finger to pull the shirt tighter against Sean's chest. "I've never seen you wear one of these before?" He murmured.

Sean grimaced comically and swatted at his fingers. "Stop teasing, brat. I have to wear a tank for the audition." He shrugged and sat down at their dresser to tie his shoes. "I thought I might as well wear it there rather than take the time to put it on when I arrive."

The finger crept back under Sean's shirt, rubbing softly against his shoulder. "Not teasing," Elijah protested softly. "It's hot, Sean." He let his fingers slide lower, admiring Sean's broad shoulders. The shirt's straps and thin material deliciously accentuated the muscles that rippled down his arm. "Or should I say... you're hot," he mused as his fingers followed the line of those muscles, drifting lower and lower, until Sean's hand seized them, stopping their motion.

Elijah glanced up quickly into soft hazel eyes. "Lij, don't," Sean whispered pleadingly. "I have to leave soon. Please don't start something we can't finish.” He toyed gently with Elijah’s fingers for a moment, then spoke in a low voice. “I don’t want to walk into this audition with a hard-on, and my mind on nothing but getting you naked."

"OK, OK," Elijah told him with a sigh. "I’m sorry. I'll behave."

"You were behaving," Sean assured him. "God, you know I love it when you touch me. Can't get enough of it. It's just that I have to leave to do this thing, and…"

Elijah nodded. "I know, Sean. I know." He grinned and nuzzled Sean's cheek. "Keep the shirt on. Wear it home for me. You'll have time then, right?"

"I'll make time then," Sean promised.

Elijah nodded, patting his shoulder. He was stunned by how overwhelmingly sexy Sean looked in that t-shirt. Larger. More dominating. Incredibly male. Elijah wanted him. Wanted him now. But he knew the audition was important to Sean so he forced himself to turn away with a nonchalance he was far from feeling.

"You’re really geeked about this audition," Elijah said quietly. He pushed aside some papers resting on their dresser and perched on it's burnished top. "It’s a good part, Sean. Where’s the script? Did they ever decide on a name? And are you trying out for the part you wanted?”

"You just damn near sat on it," Sean told him, nodding toward the papers as he tied his shoes. "They’re calling it 'In Green Pastures'… at least so far. It’s set in the Midwest. The character I'm auditioning for is a farmer who is trying to save his land during the depression. And, yeah. It’s the part I wanted." He glanced up at Elijah, grinning. "I’m back in the garden again!”

Elijah laughed. “The return of the Samwise!” He chortled.

Sean smiled at him then shook his head. “Matt Damon is auditioning for it too so… what chance do you think I have?"

"He's not THAT much taller than you!" Elijah shot back. “C’mon, Sean.”

Sean laughed out loud. "Maybe not… but he has other attributes to his credit… like an Oscar."

"And… Ben Affleck," Elijah added, his grin turning mischievous as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sean smirked at him. "You don't pay attention to that kind of rumor, do you?” He asked with feigned astonishment.

"Who me?" Elijah replied, giggling.

Sean finished tying his shoes and sat up in the chair. He nudged Elijah's knee and winked. "They don't snitch on us, aaaand we don't snitch on them." Standing up, Sean grabbed a shirt that he'd left hanging over the back of the chair and started to put it on. Seeing Elijah's frown, he laughed softly. "I won't be gone long."

Elijah nodded and watched as Sean buttoned the shirt and then hummed appreciatively when he unfastened his slacks to tuck it in, winning a slow smile and hug.

"OK," Sean said, grabbing the papers. "Gotta run. Back soon as I can."

Elijah gave him a ‘thumbs-up’. “You OWN um’, Astin!”

Sean laughed and swatted Elijah softly on the top of the head with the script. “See you later,” he said, and walked from the room.

“Good luck,” Elijah whispered, eyeing Sean’s retreating back. He listened as the sound of Sean’s steps became quieter and quieter, then he heard the door open and close.

He sighed and hopped off the dresser, looking around the room, wondering what to do with himself. Sean would be gone for awhile. A couple hours at least. He glanced down and noticed the more-than-slight bulge under his zipper and considered hopping into the shower to relieve himself of his hard-on. But only for a split second. ‘ _Nope_ ,’ Elijah thought firmly. ‘ _I’m saving this for when Sean gets back._ ’

The bed wasn’t made, and for a change Elijah managed to see a household chore or two as something other than ‘fuckin’ boring!’. He hauled some clean sheets out of the closet and started stripping the bed. “It’ll pass the time,” Elijah said out loud with a grin. “And get my mind off my dick.”

As he made the bed, he thought about Sean. He wanted this role so badly. Dramatic leading roles didn’t come along all that often for guys like Sean and himself. Their short stature and youthful features were perfect characteristics for Hobbits, but not necessarily for the kind of leading-man roles that Sean yearned to portray. This opportunity was a one-in-a-million chance for him. And Elijah felt rather guilty for having tried to seduce him before he left.

‘ _I knew he was trying to stay focused_ ,’ Elijah thought to himself. ‘ _I’m a card-carrying cunt for doing that to him!_ ’ He gave a final tug to the comforter that covered their bed and began picking up the clothes scattered about the room, most of which were his.

‘ _I want to do something nice for him,_ ’ he thought. ‘ _Something special that he’d like._ ’ His mind jumped to an ice cream store that Sean just loved. Fosselman's Ice Cream had a shop in Pasadena that sold an exotic mango flavored ice cream that sent Sean into paroxysms of bliss. He loved it. It would only take Elijah 30 minutes or so to make a round trip there and grab a quart for he and Sean to share. Sean would, likely, be gone another hour at least, so it worked out perfectly. Smiling, he grabbed his jacket and car keys and headed for the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He made the trip in record time; a bare 25 minutes from door to door. But when he pulled in, his stomach sank with a dull, muddy thud. Sean’s car was already in the driveway.

He went in, and moved toward the kitchen. He wanted to stow the ice cream in the freezer as quickly as he could. As he walked through the dining room he spotted the script lying on the table and Sean’s jacket draped over one of the chairs. Sean, however, was nowhere in sight and the house was deathly silent.

Elijah moaned quietly. “Fuck!”

He stashed the ice cream then went back through the dining room to the bottom of the stairs. He stood there for a moment staring upstairs.. listening. There wasn’t a sound, and with a sinking heart, Elijah slowly began to climb.

He hit the top step with a quickening pace and walked into their bedroom. Sean was sitting on the chair beside the dresser. He was bent over with his arms resting on his knees, the shirt he’d put on earlier was clutched in his hands. He didn’t move or make a sound as Elijah entered the room.

“Sean?” Elijah half-whispered.

Sean straightened quickly and turned to face him. “Oh, hi!” He said brightly. Then softer: “Hi, Lijah.”

Elijah walked to him, feeling an ever sharpening sense of foreboding. “You’re back early.”

Sean shrugged and stared down at the shirt in his hands as though he’d never seen it before. After a moment he looked up at Elijah and half-smiled. “Yeah. Guess I am. I…”

“What happened, Sean?” Elijah asked softly.

“Never got there,” Sean told him. “Got a call before I even got close.” He tossed the shirt to their dresser and sighed. “They gave it to Matt.” He grinned ruefully and glanced back up at Elijah.

Elijah’s fingers combed their way through Sean’s wavy hair. “Hey,” he murmured. “You know how things go in this business. Somethin’ else’ll come up, buddy. You know that.”

Sean nodded without speaking and stared down at his hands. “I asked them to let me at least come and read, but…” he shrugged again. “… they said there was no point.” He glanced back up at Elijah. “They probably made up their minds a month ago.”

Elijah’s nod was tight with outraged anger. His stomach and chest boiled with it. But he knew was pointless. They’d both been in this business since they were kids. They both knew the score. This is how things were done. ' _Jesus!_ ’ Elijah thought in disgust. ‘ _This is the sweetest guy in the fucking world! I HATE seeing him treated that way._ ’

He rested both hands on Sean’s broad shoulders. “I’m sorry, Seanie.”

“No, no, no!” Sean protested. “I’m fine. It’s OK, Lij.” He tried to smile past the pain in his eyes. But Elijah wasn’t buying it. He took one step back from the chair and stripped his t-shirt off.

Sean’s eyes widened. “Well, now,” he said softly.

“You still look hot as fuck in that shirt,” Elijah told him, popping the snap of his jeans. “And I seem to remember that you and I have some unfinished business.” He slowly lowered his zipper, then slid his jeans down on his hips just far enough to expose his tattoo.

Sean stared, mesmerized, at the elven lettering. After a moment his head slowly lifted and he stared into the cobalt blue gaze above him. He slid his fingers under the waistband of Elijah’s jeans. The skin of Elijah’s belly felt silkenly vulnerable. He longed to press his face against that soft, flat surface. He longed to let his tongue make circles around Elijah’s navel. Instead, he pulled Elijah forward and down, until he was straddling Sean’s legs; sitting on his lap.

“Well, say, Mr. Astin,” Elijah said, grinning. “What do you have in mind here?” He wound his arms around Sean’s neck.

Sean shook his head and wrapped his arms around Elijah’s waist and pulled him close. “Just want you right here for a minute,” he whispered.

Elijah nodded and looked into Sean’s eyes, which were barely an inch from his own. “I’m really sorry, Seanie,” he said softly. “I hate seeing you in pain.”

Sean was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep breath. “Kiss me,” he breathed. “Elijah… kiss me.”

Elijah’s eyes had still not left Sean’s. His hands moved to either side of Sean’s face. His thumbs soothed the skin under Sean’s eyes gently, then he leaned forward to kiss each eyelid… trembling with the effort to be gentle, his lips barely brushing Sean’s skin.

“Lijah,” Sean choked out. “Babes…,”

Elijah lifted Sean’s face, and leaned forward slowly. His mouth moved to Sean’s but turned aside at the last moment, kissing his cheek, taking in a slow, deep breath. “You smell so good,” he whispered.

Slowly, deliberately taking his time, he tenderly kissed the corner of Sean’s mouth, then moved to kiss his lips, his touch feather-soft.

He leaned back just enough to look deeply into Sean’s eyes again, seeing the need that burned there, white-hot. Seeing the love that was the fountainhead of that need. The love that made Elijah essential in his life. The love that was his heart’s desire in the truest sense.

Everything in Sean sprang from love. Elijah had learned this as far back as New Zealand. Everything. Protection, worry, anxiety, insecurity. It all flowed from the love that lived so abundantly in his too-big heart. He pressed his lips harder to Sean’s. His hand clenching now in Sean’s hair, pulling him close, feeling the level of heat between them sharply spike into a luminous nova that threatened to take Elijah’s breath.

“Ohhh,” he breathed. “Oh god, Seanie.”

His head tipped back. Eyes closed, he savored the feeling of Sean’s lips sliding lower and lower. Sean loved this. Loved moving his lips over Elijah’s skin. Loved it because Elijah did. Loved it because Elijah moaned with desire when Sean’s lips and tongue caresses the hollows and slopes of his throat. Loved it because Elijah’s breath came in quick little inhales when Sean’s tongue touched that creamy, pale skin.

Elijah shivered, feeling goose bumps cover his body. “Oh,” he moaned. “Just this. Just do this. Oh, god. Sean.” His hands dropped lower… feeling the fabric of the shirt and the hard muscles of Sean’s back float beneath his fingers and palms.

Sean’s hands moved over his back as his lips moved restlessly against Elijah’s throat. He murmured Elijah’s name again and again, his arms tightening, crushing Elijah’s body against his own.

Elijah’s head fell forward and their eyes met. “Bed?” Elijah whispered. “Bed, Seanie?”

Sean leaned forward and his lips found Elijah’s throat again. After a moment he shook his head. He enfolded Elijah in his arms and rocked him gently. For a long time there was silence. And in the midst of that silence, Elijah felt his eyes begin to burn. He knew how much today’s rejection had hurt his lover. He knew the struggle this kind of dismissal created in his heart. The struggle to believe. The struggle to release and move on. The struggle to detach from the self-doubt.

And while Sean did silent battle with these demons, Elijah knew that the greatest source of healing and peace in his life was his belief in Elijah’s love. He found his strength in the intimacy between them that transcended physical love. Right now he didn't need love-making... no matter how good that love-making might be. He needed something else.

“Hey,” Elijah said in a choked whisper. “I went and got mango ice cream from Fosselman's while you were gone.”

Sean’s head lifted. “Yeah?” he said, smiling. “You did, huh.” He looked into Elijah’s eyes for a moment, then quickly away. “Thank you, baby.” His whisper was as choked as Elijah’s.

“Wanna go have some?”

Sean nodded. “Sounds good.” He slowly stood, lifting Elijah with him, leaning in to kiss him softly while Elijah tugged his jeans up.

“Hand me that, would you, Sean?” He pointed at his t-shirt.

Sean grabbed it from the floor, and handed it to him. “Here you go.”

Elijah yanked it over his head, then took Sean’s hand. They walked to the stairs and started down, side by side. “God, I love that mango ice cream!” Sean told him. “You’re wonderful to think of it.”

Elijah laughed as they reached the dining room. Sean glanced down at the scrip lying, discarded, on the table, then stopped and turned to Elijah, leaning close, his hand moving slowly down Elijah’s arm. “I’m the luckiest man alive,” he whispered against Elijah’s cheek.

“Ahhhh, you’re just a sucker for mangos,” Elijah told him cheerfully, poking him in the ribs.

Sean draped his arm around Elijah’s neck. “Aren’t they an aphrodisiac?” he asked with a grin.

“I certainly hope so!” Elijah told him, grinning back. “We have unfinished business, dude.”

They walked into the kitchen together.


End file.
